Interoperability and code reuse

A Sticky Mess

Developing cross-platform apps can be difficult and error prone. We offer some tips to ease the work.

Interoperability is a good thing; it enables us to use security tools across multiple platforms (like OpenID and OSSEC) and combine data from multiple platforms into tools like Prelude, right? Code reuse is also good – why reinvent the wheel if someone is giving away really nice all-weather tires? Unfortunately, when it comes to interoperability, not everyone does a good job of implementation. In fact, efforts to achieve compatibility and interoperability often can make a real security mess.

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Klaus Knopper is the creator of Knoppix and co-founder of LinuxTag expo. He works as a teacher, programmer, and consultant. If you have a configuration problem, or if you just want to learn more about how Linux works, send your questions to: klaus@linux-magazine.com.